Tag Archives: D.C.

Day 48, August 3, 2012: Today was another great Friday in D.C.. Today I got up unbelievably early to go to Alexandria to get my visa for school in the fall. I got there and was in and out in under 10 minutes. Never mind that I had to take the Metro then a cab and was now stranded without a cell phone (they aren’t permitted in the visa office, so I left mine at home). So, I went on an adventure. I walked down the road to the nearest gas station and made friends with the manager so that he would call a cab for me. Then I sat on the ground at 9 a.m. and ate Mentos and read my book while I waited. Surprisingly, Mentos are really good at 9 a.m. when you ate breakfast over 2 hours before that. I finally made it back to work around 10:30 a.m., and then the day got even better from there.

After work, I decided to go on a walk, so I walked toward Federal Triangle area on Pennsylvania. I passed by the Old Post Office Pavillion, and had always wondered waht was inside, so I went in. There was a huge food court and shops in a beautiful room. Apparently, you can take a tour of the huge tower they had for free, so naturally I did. Inside of the tower were the ropes that lead up to the Bells of Congress. These bells are rung on all federal holidays and a few other designated times of the year. I climbed up the rest of the tower to the very top, saw the bells on the way up (they were HUGE), and then reached the top at sunset. It was gorgeous. The view up there was amazing. On one side you could see the Capitol and the other were the monuments and everything else. The sky was pink, purple, yellow and blue. The cloud formations made the sky look glorious. It was like seeing heaven smile down on earth and telling us, this is just the beginning of how great the view is in heaven. After I drank in the sites at the tower, I ended up at Metro Center, where I looked for some souvenirs for my family, and of course, walked through Anthropolgie. I finally decided just to go bum out in Barnes & Noble and read the book I had with me. I sat there reading until I glanced outside, realized it was dark and already 9:30 p.m., so I decided I should probably catch the Metro home. It was the perfect relaxing Friday.

Day 49, Saturday, August 4, 2012: Today was perfect. I woke up and took the Metro to see the CSI Museum. It was AWESOME. My entire family is a little weirdly obsessed with crime shows. We have decided that most of this fascination stems from the fact that my granddad, a.k.a. Bestest Buddy, was one of the original CSI guys for the FBI. It was so cool at that museum to read about the mob vs. the police days, read what happen in Chicago in the late 20’s to early 40’s with all of the mob activity, and hear about some of the most interesting criminals that have hit the FBI’s Top 10 list. I HIGHLY recommend this museum to you if you’re in the D.C. area soon.After that, I grabbed some lunch, put on some hiking clothes, and headed to Great Falls Park. It was breathtaking. The falls are just beautiful. I spent the majority of the day out there, just staring at them, walking around on the 15 miles of paths you can choose from, seeing the ruins of the Matildaville town that used to be there, and reading my book in some shaded areas. Oh, and of course taking WAY too many pictures.

I got back and decided to clean up before I went with a friend to the Nationals game. Apparently, while I was in the shower, my roommate went to get some food at the store. When I got out and reached for the doorknob, it fell off in my hand.

Yes, I got LOCKED IN THE BATHROOM.

I tried kicking through the door, banging on it to see if anyone could hear me (I still though my roommate was in the room listening to headphones and couldn’t hear me). I finally kicked the door hard enough that the other side of the doorknob fell off and I could see through a tiny hole in the lock that she wasn’t in the room.

I might have said a bad word then–I’m 99.9% sure that I did.

I finally managed to get the bathroom window pried open. I stuck my head as close as I could to the screen through the 6-inch space the window is allowed to open. I waited for someone to walk by that didn’t have headphones in or their car window rolled up. I finally saw a girl in a red dress across the street, and yelled at her asking her to help me. She was God’s gift to me. She wasn’t from America, didn’t have Internet on her phone, but somehow managed to figure out what the GW Police’s number was. She called them, waited for them to show up, and got me out of that stupid moldy bathroom 30 minutes after I’d realized I was locked in.

I almost hugged and kissed the man that unlocked the door and let me out.

Finally, I was able to text the girl back I was supposed to meet up with, and we attempted to go to the game late. We got on the wrong color for the Metro, so it skipped the station. We ended up riding back to where we started and walked to Georgetown where we went and watched a movie called Ruby Sparks. I still don’t know how I feel about that movie….it was good and almost super creepy at the same time.

That was my last Saturday in D.C.

Day 50, Sunday, August 5, 2012: Today was another great day in D.C.. I slept in a little and then got some things wrapped up that I needed to do before I left here. I then caught a cab to the Tudor Place. Martha Washington’s descendants owned the house and lands–it was absolutely beautiful. The house had many objects that used to be in the Washington’s possession. There were numerous types of china, some camping chairs that Washington and his generals used during the Revolutionary War, paintings and etchings from the Washington’s, and many other amazing objects.

Next, I walked to Dumbarton House. It is a quaint Federal style house with beautiful gardens. I did a self-guided tour and saw many beautiful things in the house.

Next, I went to the Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Gardens. It had some of the most interesting art I’d ever seen. There were some neon exhibits–literally, there were art pieces made out of neon lights.

After the Hirshorn, I went to the Museum of Natural History to get a book I’d been eyeing ever since we had arrived. I finally gave in and purchased it. I went through a few of the exhibits that I hadn’t really gotten a good look at the time before that, and then headed home.

I grabbed a quick bite to eat, read a little, then set off for Barnes & Noble. Too bad I got there when they were closing…apparently they close early on Sunday nights. Since it was raining I sat under the side of the building for a bit trying to figure out what I was going to do at 7 p.m. on a Sunday night. I spotted a tiny movie theatre down the street and decided to see Moonrise Kingdom. It was the best choice ever. That movie was unbelievably hysterical and witty. The entire audience was rolling the whole time. Just trust me, go see it.

Day 44, Monday, July 30, 2012: Today seemed like it was going to be any other Monday, but it was far more than that. At work today, I got to design things, which is just always fun.

After work, I decided to talk a walk to the White House, around the White House, to the Washington Monument (stopping to grab a Lemon Chill…yum), then to National Mall where I went to watch another movie at HBO’s Screen on the Green. But, I decided that I might as well stop in at the Natural History Museum since it was open late…why not? I went straight to the gem section, where I got to stand in front of the Hope Diamond with no one else crowding around. I may or may not have stood there for a few minutes just watching it spin on its little jewel turning thingy. After I stared at that for a while, I looked at some of the other amazing jewelry in the other room. With a specific interest in getting a good look at the diamond earrings worn by Marie Antoinette (they were in my book so I HAD to take another look at them in person…it’s fine, I’m a dork and love the French and Tudor histories a little too much). After that, I hit every gift shop in the museum besides the kids one and the one for stuffed animals…don’t really think I need any of those…and then I headed back outside to watch the movie.

HBO Screen on the Green outdid themselves again this week with a wonderful old movie that was sad, funny and just wonderful. I brought my book, The Other Boleyn Girl out there to read before the movie, and it was just so fun to sit there with everyone so happy waiting for the same thing. The weather was absolutely perfect also, which made it just that much more enjoyable.

Day 45, Tuesday, July 31, 2012: Today was another Tuesday in D.C. I went to work, then afterwards, took a walk around D.C. and just wanted to see how far I could walk. Being the very easily distracted person that I am…let’s just say I didn’t get far. I ended up only walking to the Lincoln Memorial…which is about 5 blocks. BUT I did have my book with me, so I planted myself against one of the columns on the backside of the monument and read until it started to get dark (and then I heard thunder so I scooted on home…been caught too many times in the rain for my liking).

Day 46, Wednesday, August 1, 2012: Today at work, we decided to take a work trip to a Greek place down the street. It was fantastic. We even made friends with the owner. SO YUMMY. Still craving it…

After work, Alaina and I decided to go to watch the Nationals play Philadelphia. It was such a fun game (even though they lost…). BUT the stadium was really cool (especially since its on the bay and you can see all of D.C. from the top…which is where we sat). It was a very fun night to say the least.

Day 47, Thursday, August 2, 2012: Today was a super fun day at work. I designed things all day…and got total freedom to make a new design for a teacher guide to the site. Let’s just say, they have no idea what they unleashed when they said do whatever I want. I LOVE designing, and have gotten really into this guide…hehe.

After work, I started walking to the White House when I got a call to see if I wanted to meet a friend for dinner at a burger joint. Naturally, my answer was work out? nah! let’s eat a huge burger, amazing fries and get a coke. So that’s what I did. It was delicious. I don’t understand why anyone would want to work out instead of eating real, American, greasy, great for you food (the biggest “workout” I EVER get is walking). I don’t get these workout nuts clearly. After dinner we walked to Georgetown to look at a super cool bookstore. Really bad that my friend introduced it to me because they have an amazing art book selection (and all about my favorite artists). Good thing they were all over $50 so I didn’t buy them…yet.

After we walked back to GW, I braved Whole Foods to get soy milk then came back to the dorm. I went and joined an entire group of people (who all knew each other…they looked at me funny) and just decided to sit down with them and watch the Olympics with them. Let’s just say I picked a GREAT night for U.S.A. to watch the Olympics. I got to see the Judo competition (we won), the 200 meter breath stroke [I think? I don’t know the difference between any of the strokes…] (we won), and girls gymnasts (we kicked butt).

Oh, and fun fact I learned. The huge crowd I saw gathered outside of the gym here on campus a few weeks ago was because the men’s basketball Olympic team practiced here. That’s right. The men that have killed it in the games played here. Awesome.

Day 42, Saturday, July 28, 2012: Today was another perfect day. I woke up and went to the Kreeger Museum, one of D.C.’s hidden treasures. It was once a home owned by the Kreegers, who designed it with the specific purpose that it would one day be open to the public to display their extensive art collection. It was amazing. They were friends with Vincent van Gogh and his wife! There were many paintings by him throughout the house, and in the study were an original copy of his memoirs and a letter from van Gogh to Mr. Kreeger thanking him for his hospitality. Also among the museums treasures was a room of Monet and Renoir, paintings by Sisley, Picasso, Rodin, Chagall, Mondraain, Degas, van Gogh, Pissarro, Cezanne, Bonnard, Still, Joan Miro, Kandinsky, and an extensive sculpture garden. The home is in the middle of a street between breath-taking mansions–and the trip to get there is beyond worth it.

After my visit there, I went to President Woodrow Wilson’s house in D.C.. Like the Kreeger Museum, it is one of D.C.’s hidden treasures. The house is very beautiful and filled with so much history from one of our great presidents and the man who first had the idea for the League of Nations which later led to the founding of the UN.

After visiting his home, I walked to the Philip’s Collection. It was such an amazing art museum. They have modern art as well as classics by Degas, Pissaro, Monet and Renoir. I loved seeing the amazing paneling and grand fireplace in the home also–they had a room that was moved from Europe, and it was stunning. The ceiling was elaborate with bright colors and the paneling was out of amazing, beautiful wood.

Next, I walked across the street to the Anderson House. I almost died with joy when I walked into this AMAZING house. The couple that built it, like the Kreeger’s built it to entertain and to showcase the grand things they owned. The ballroom–I don’t even have words for how breathtaking it is. It is beautiful. They have stunning chandeliers, then there is a side room with a grand stair-case. At the landing, there is a massive painting of the coronation of a Spanish queen. It is amazing. The house has a French and English parlor–both just absolutely stunning. There is a room that is filled with church pews (used for meetings) that was taken from an old church in Europe and installed in the home. They had a coat of arms designed for their family, which is displayed throughout the house. The grand hallway and dining room upstairs–there really aren’t words for the amazing tapestries on the walls and the china, table and serving ware they used. It was a house that was designed by taking photographs and sketches of places they’d seen around Europe–they wanted a little Hampton Court Palace, oriental influence and other castles in one building. It was so awesome.

After I left there, I headed to National Mall and went to the Freer & Sackler gallery–they have the Peacock Room on display–it was even more amazing in person than how awed I had been studying about it in my museum classes; they also have some of the most intricate oriental art I’ve ever seen. Then I went to the African Art Museum, and I enjoyed it just as much. Both museums have amazing hidden treasures, and are totally worth the visit.

That night, I met a friend for dinner at Ming’s again and then we went and saw Spiderman–totally recommend this also. It was so good!

Basically, it was a perfect Saturday.

Day 43, Sunday, July 29, 2012: Today was a wonderful day as well. I woke up and ventured over to the Newseum, D.C.’s newest museum. It was very well-done and extremely interesting. I highly recommend going there–even though it is one of the few places that you must pay for in D.C., it is completely worth it. There were fantastic exhibits. My personal favorite was the one about the different FBI cases that have been huge. I even saw a few photographs by one of my photography teachers in that exhibit! The other super cool thing was this section of the Berlin Wall.

That afternoon I spent at Merriweather Post’s home, Hillwood Estate. It was truly one of the most underrated gems in D.C.. Ms. Post purchased the mansion and re-did it to house her extensive French and Russian collections. She owned things from Marie Antoinette and Catherine the Great. I was in heaven when I walked into the home’s foyer. The walls were covered with panelling and gold plating. There was a beautiful rock crystal chandelier above the doorway. Facing inward from the doors, guests were greeted with cabinets that were built for Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI–they were grand and had amazing detailing in the carvings. To the right was a grand staircase, where on the walls was a huge portrait of Catherine the Great and other portraits of Romanov monarchs and family members.

The house was filled with fine china that had been owned by the two great women. There was an original painting of King Louis XVI’s goodbye with his family before he was taken to be executed and other original paintings owned by the royal family. In the hallways were vases, clocks and paneling that had been brought from the homes of these and other great leaders from that time. It was one of the most amazing places I’ve ever visited. I stayed in that house to take photographs and to just keep looking for over three hours. It was amazing. It was so fun to actually see things I had been reading about in the many novels I’ve read about Marie Antoinette this summer.

After I finished viewing the home and breathtaking gardens, I headed to the National Zoo to see if any animals were out. I saw some cheetahs, elephants, zebras, gazelles and a few animals I am not really sure what they were. After I went to the zoo, I hit a few bookstores in Dupont Circle to get a few books since I was almost finished with Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl. As scandalous as it was, it was a fantastic book. I finally found the next Kate Emerson book–don’t worry, I will probably be stalking Barnes and Noble August 7th for her release of her next book. They’re amazing…I HIGHLY recommend ALL of them to anyone. I finished the night reading my book (sorry I’ve been bad about posting, I’ve gotten really excited about reading about people from countries I will see this next year, and even live near some of the castles they went to on progress during Henry Tudor’s days).

Overall, this weekend was absolutely perfect. For more entertaining things and cool pictures, follow me on Twitter @amyestone12

Day 37, Monday, July 23, 2012: Today was another wonderful day at iCivics. I went on a fun adventure to drop off something for a Congressman, so that was fun to see where they had offices. After work, I went to a wonderful Tex-Mex place and met some Texans for happy hour and dinner. It was so good to taste a little bit of home!

Day 38, Tuesday, July 24, 2012: Today was so fun. We began the day meeting with a man who works for the National Archives. Charlie was so kind to meet us and discuss some upcoming projects that would be a be worked on by three separate parties, and then besides the gift of his time, he gave us the coolest tour I’ve ever been on. We saw the stacks (where they house papers in cold storage) and then we saw a vault. We saw: the first Congressional Record which included the electoral vote count for electing George Washington as president…it was unanimous; an original copy of the Texas Constitution; Women’s Opposition to Suffrage; Pearl Harbor radio map that the men plotted on as they were receiving radio signals for things they didn’t know what they were…turned out to be the Japanese planes; an original draft with mark-ups of the Bill of Rights…SO COOL!; George Washington’s hand-written speech that he gave for his inaugural address to Congress; Lincoln’s hand-written letter on his personal stationary to nominate Ulyssess S. Grant during the Civil War; Andrew Jackson’s note to Congress over the fact that his distillery had burned down; Davy Crockett’s letter asking for West Point to be shut down or altered; Jefferson’s congragulatory letter for the Louisiana Purchase; the 1964 Civil Rights marked-up draft; the original MAD comic book, and many more things. I was on cloud nine all day. That night we had our final dinner with Karon, our colleague from Baylor. She headed back to Texas earlier than we did, so we had our final iCivics and farewell dinner with her. We went to Zengo. It was excellent, I highly recommend it if you are anywhere near Gallery Place Metro in D.C. anytime soon.

Day 39, Wednesday, July 25, 2012: Today was just as good as the previous day. We went to a senate hearing that Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was testifying at! It was so cool to watch her on fire as she answered every single question that the senators threw at her. It was a wonderful beginning to a wonderful day. That night I ventured to the National Mall for the HBO Screen on the Green again. It was so fun! They showed It Happened One Night, which was absolutely hysterical and precious! It was a fun end to a perfect day.

Day 40, Thursday, July 26, 2012: Today was another fun day in the iCivics office. We worked on a few new projects and finished up others. After work, we went to happy hour together, which was very entertaining because other groups there thought we were part of theirs and a few people tried to sit at our table. After happy hour, I took a little walk around D.C. and managed to catch up with some people on the phone. It was wonderful.

Day 41, Friday, July 27, 2012: Today was great also. We got a few more fun projects to do at work. Alaina, Jeff (our boss) and I went to a great Turkish place for lunch and picked up food (so good!). Then, after work, Alaina and I went on a Moonlight Monuments tour. It was so fun! The driver told us cool stories the whole time we were in the trolley, and we got to see a few monuments we hadn’t been able to as well as see them beautifully lit up at night! It was the perfect way to end a perfect week.

Day 32, Wednesday, July 18, 2012: Today we went on an adventure during work. A group of us went to a summer program and play-tested an upcoming game with the students there. It was so fun, and very exciting to see kids enjoying a new game that is just in play-testing mode. It was made even better by the fact that I was able to get ahold of someone at Samsung and they helped me fix the work-computer problems I was having. The day was made even better that afternoon when I got to watch the most amazing rain storm out the window. (I really love watching the rain!) It was raining so hard that you could barely see outside.

After work, once the rain stopped, I decided to take a stroll.

Let’s just say, I saw a lot on my stroll today…

I walked from my dorm to Renwick Gallery, then to the White House. I even got to witness Obama’s motorcade returning to the White House. I cannot begin to tell you how cool it was to see (and a little confusing until you figure out what is happening) 10 motorcycles racing down the road, with armored cars behind them (some with guys on top holding huge swivel guns), so many police cars, armored trucks and ambulance and the cars that he was in as well as the decoys. Regardless of anyone’s views about politics, anyone would say that that was really cool to see a president drive home. After watching (and waiting for the motorcade to pass so that I could cross the White House driveway) I walked to the Washington Monument, then down the mall all the way to the Capitol, then turned around and walked all the way down the other side to the WWII Memorial,

then to the Lincoln Memorial, and then, finally, home. Why I decided to walk over 5 miles tonight, I do not know–I am still sore from yesterdays walk. Probably going to regret it in the morning. At least I got to see some cool things on my way.

For more random things that happen to me throughout the day, follow me on Twitter: @amyestone12

And for some entertainment, check out where I am working this summer: www.icivics.org (I promise it’s fun even if you’re not a kid…I dare you to try it)

Day 30, Monday, July 16, 2012: Today was another fun day working at iCivics. It was especially fun because I was able to spend the majority of the day designing for them, which is definitely one of the things I love doing the most.

After work, I decided that I was going to talk a walk toward National Mall with the intention of going to the Screen on the Green later in the evening. I took a nice stroll around the Metro Center stop, went to Barnes and Noble to purchase another book by Kate Emerson (it is excellent thus far). I then stopped when I saw a sign for “DC’s winner of best yogurt,” so naturally, I went in and bought some. It was quite tasty, but I am not totally sure I would go as far as to say it’s the best I’ve ever had (personally, I’d argue that the yogurt/ice cream place in Georgetown is MUCH better).

I finally made my way to National Mall, picked out a spot on the mall near the front, and settled in to read my book until it was dark enough for the movie to begin. The Screen on the Green showed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, one of my personal favorites. It was so fun to watch a classic with so many other people that were just as excited about watching it as you were.

Day 31, Tuesday, July 17, 2012: Today was a little bit frustrating with regarding work because when I arrived, the work laptop I use had decided that it was time that I change the password. The only problem with that is that it wouldn’t let me change the password. I spent the entire work day attempting to Google remedies for this situation, and not a single one of the hundreds of suggestions that I read was helpful…it got mildly entertaining after a while reading the ridiculous things some people had suggested to computer novices.

After work, I decided to take a stroll around D.C.. My original plan was to walk toward the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Memorial and then toward the White House, but as I was walking, I decided to cross the Potomac instead. I ended up walking to Virginia and back tonight. I walked all the way to the entrance of Arlington Cemetery, went inside and headed toward the Women’s Memorial, looked inside of that and then decided that I should walk back. I saw the exterior of the Lincoln Memorial (my legs would’ve probably given if I had try to climb up the steps) and then stopped by the Vietnam Memorial to take a seat on a bench for a few minutes before heading back home. Basically, it is safe to say that currently, my legs don’t have much feeling in them.

For more ridiculous adventures I decide to spontaneously take, follow me on Twitter: @amyestone12

Day 25, Wednesday, July 11, 2012: Today was another wonderful day in the D.C. area. After work, I headed to Annapolis, MD, to visit one of my good friends who had just graduated from the Naval Academy. If you have never been to Annapolis, I highly recommend it! It is absolutely beautiful. And for all the single ladies in the world, there are definitely a lot of young, single gentlemen there.

My friend took me around nearly all of Annapolis. We took a tour of the town (with the Jeep top down, of course), then went to the Naval Academy to look around. We parked by some of the academic halls and walked down the center walkway toward the main building (and where most of the dormitories are connected). All of the new plebes were outside in formation practicing their march for parades. He and I happen to arrive just before they left to practice, so I was able to see all 600 of them march down the center of the campus to the practice field. It was amazing how disciplined they are (and they had only been there a week). Their marching and attentiveness reaffirmed to my friend and I that I was just a little too ADHD to participate in something like the Navy or Marines. I would have been that kid always getting yelled at or punished for not standing where I was supposed to standing still enough…I just can’t do it.

After we watched them do their demonstration, he showed me around the main part of main building. We stood for a while on the balcony in the back, which overlooks the cafeteria as well as the reminder of the dorms and the bay. Next, we took a stroll around the exterior of the campus on the bay side, and into town. We attempted to eat at one restaurant, then saw the prices and promptly got up to leave. We finally found another restaurant that was on the bay and ate there. I must say, sunsets in Annapolis are gorgeous! It was beautiful to see it reflect on the water with the Chapel dome from the Naval Academy in the foreground–absolutely beautiful, and definitely one of those moments that I was kicking myself for deciding that I didn’t want to bring a camera all the way to Annapolis with me. After dinner, we decided to take a walk to a local ice cream shop (which had some of the best ice cream I’ve had in a very long time). Then we headed back to the academy to pick up the car before heading back to New Carrolton so that I could catch the Metro back to George Washington (and thankfully we arrived there when we did because I caught the last train out of there for the night).

Days 26-29, Thursday-Sunday, July 12-15, 2012: Thursday afternoon I headed to DCA to fly out for another wedding. I flew to Rogers, Arkansas for one of my best friends’ wedding. It was so much fun to see all of my friends from college again, and spend a weekend celebrating the union of two of my favorite people. It was also fun because I got to be the photographer (up to when the photographer showed up for portraits and the ceremony and reception) and one other girl and I got to do the flower decorations in the lanterns with Ball Jars inside. They looked beautiful leading up to the alter. It was one of the most touching weddings I’ve ever been to, and the reception was just a blast. We also got very tasty carmel apples for a favor (mine was delicious. It had crushed M&M’s dipped in the carmel).

On the way there, I managed to finish the second book in the series by Juliet Grey, I highly recommend this series about Marie Antoinette. It is very well written and absolutely fascinating! I then began a new book (from a different series, this time about the Tudors…the last of Grey’s books is coming out in 2013!) and it was a fantastic read as well. It was The Pleasure Palace by Kate Emerson. I never read, so to be able to say that I have read 3 books since I have been here, is pretty good. I started the second in the series by Kate Emerson, and so far, it has not disappointed either. Oh, in case you were wondering, thankfully this time getting back to D.C. did not take 8 1/2 hours from Dallas–the flight was a little delayed and then a little late, but NOTHING compared to last week’s flight adventure.

For more interesting thing that occur in D.C., follow me on Twitter: @amyestone12

Day 23, Monday, July 9, 2012: Today was just another Monday in the world of iCivics and D.C.. With no Internet access at work all day, I blew through the pages that I had to transfer from a PDF to Word document, looking for trends throughout the answers on the questionnaires. I also took a short break to take a picture of an Craigslist post that another one of the interns found–further proving (from a debate that my friends from school and I have going, that dragons are not superior to ponies…thoughts about what is beter?)

Post work, I took a stroll around the area where Metro Center stop is. I found some cute shops to look in and went to Barnes and Noble to get a new book (it’s amazing how many pages you can read on an 8 1/2 hour flight back to D.C…especially one that should’ve taken 3 1/2 hours). I also explored the exterior of the Spy Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. After heading back to our dorm, Alaina and I just settled in for the night and worked on things (she did have a more exciting evening, meeting an old friend for dinner after work).

Day 24, Tuesday, July 10, 2012: Today was another interesting day fighting the Internet system for a signal (always comical that we can’t get access and work for a company that is web-based educational games). After work, Alaina and I headed to Chinatown to meet Karon and her husband for dinner at Legal Seafood (HIGHLY recommend this restaurant). It is fantastic. It was comical at the restaurant–the bathrooms were almost unisex with a weird glass barrier between each side, then there were individual stalls/tiny rooms on each side with toilets. It was bizarre.

And to make the evening even more comical, it was POURING (and I mean POURING) outside–naturally I forgot a rain coat and an umbrella–so I got to sprint down the block to the Metro. Basically, I might as well have taken a shower in my clothes. Then once we reached our stop, I had to sprint through about 2 1/2 more blocks to our dorm. To say I was soaked is an understatement. But, it did make for a great laugh. To put it lightly–it rained so much in the 45 minutes that it was pouring that it flooded the basement of our building–no doing laundry tonight.

Ridiculous events of D.C. thus far:

Alaina shouting in her sleep “that’s my big toe!”

Sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial–fighting for our spots for the fireworks–while getting repeatedly kicked by the small children around us who didn’t know how to keep their feet to themselves

Alaina sprinting down the street after a cab, arms flailing everywhere—she doesn’t catch it, but she does make the bus behind us stop in the middle of the block

Getting caught in the rain–might as well have taken a shower in my clothes…

Carrying my ravioli in a SOLO cup to work with a rubber-banded paper towel

Dragging 3 suitcases and an overstuffed backpack across a major intersection and up to the dorm room

Leaving my phone in a cab—having Alaina track it on iCloud while I race in taxis to try to catch it. At one point I dug through a trash can (the iCloud said it was somewhere it definitely was NOT) then sprinting down the street to a corner where the iCloud said it was again (I was in my work dress and Tom’s sprinting next to all of the museums…it was classy to say the least)

Having to pay $200 to get a new key and key card for my dorm—they REALLY don’t want you to lose anything here

Buying organic soda—thinking it should just taste like Dr Pepper—it didn’t have caffeine and tastes disgusting

We went to the zoo and we literally saw a horse (we truly wondered if they were out of money and had sold the animals…) but don’t worry, we saw them on our second trip there. And we made friends with an orangutan.

For more hysterical moments that happen on our D.C. fellowship, follow me on Twitter @amyestone12

Day 19, Thursday, July 5, 2012: Today was yet another great day in D.C.. The day began with work at iCivics–and it was a very fun day filled with new and exciting assignments.

After dinner, Alaina and I hurried back to the dorm to change and head to meet Karon for dinner in Chinatown, D.C.. We ate at a really good place called Clyde’s–I HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone. It was wonderful. After dinner we ventured to Barnes and Noble where I purchased the second of the Marie Antionette (the first one was absolutely FANTASTIC!). The second one, thus far is so great also. Anyone who is interested in historical fiction about her will absolutely love it. Post Barnes and Noble, we headed to Georgetown to get ice cream for dessert. We went to Thomas Sweets, at my request, to get birthday ice cream for me! It was delicious. I got mint chocolate chip yogurt in a cone that was dipped in rainbow sprinkles–it was heavenly.

Day 20, Friday, July 6, 2012: Today was just a great day because 1) it was my birthday and 2) I got to go back to Texas (God’s Country for those of you who have not been graced by its beauty yet) for the weekend. I was a little late getting up and going that following morning due to the fact that I had been up late the night before packing and preparing my itinerary for my trip in the fall to Europe. Alaina and I had a great time at work (I was only there for a bit before my flight, but we still had a grand time). We worked on a few different assignments and both laughed at the irony that we work for iCivics, a video game website that teaches civic education, and the Internet at our work was not working well that day.

I headed to the airport (and I must say that DCA is one of the most poorly signed airports in the history of any airport! There were signs saying that Delta was to the left and everything else was to the right [Delta was to the right…it was a lie]. So, thinking that I am heading toward the correct gate for American to go through security, I got into the line for Delta and had to ask before being told I was on the wrong side of the terminal). Thankfully, I still made my flight and had time to grab a quick bite to eat prior to boarding the plane.

I was picked up by my cousins, sister and two friends at the airport, and we promptly headed to the Ballpark in Arlington for a Texas Rangers game. I cannot tell you how welcoming it was to venture home (even though it was over 104 degrees Fahrenheit). The Rangers, sadly lost to the Minnesota Twins, but almost (key word right there) came back in the 8th and 9th innings. Post-game, there was a fantastic display of fireworks paired with great music. It was nothing compared to the 4th of July fireworks show in D.C., but they were on my birthday (and therefore in honor of me being born, right?). After the game, we managed to race through the crowd to the car (with a bizarre manner, of course) and were able to navigate our way through the crowds with peals of laughter. One of my sisters’ friends who accompanied us, dubbed this walk, (which is head down, eyes forward, leaning forward and racing while not moving your body [arms especially] with any exuberant movements, while still maintaining top speed) the Rachel. My sister definitely almost got taken out by three boys who were somewhat imitating us, and was met with our resounding giggles echoing down the ramp.

And then we arrived home (which was the first time I’d ever been to my parent’s temporary housing in their apartment…we sold our house and had to be out in a week or so post the closing date…darn, I was already here…). And, sitting on my bed waiting for me was my brand new Canon 7D. It was a wonderful birthday present to myself, and a wonderful end to a perfect and fun-filled day.

Day 21, Saturday, July 7, 2012: This was the day that my cousins and I made our way to Waco, Texas (home of the Baylor Bears…and most of my family’s alma matter) for our cousins’ wedding. It was a hysterical ride on the way down I-35 toward Waco, where we had one of our group attempt to decide what our weddings would be like. With her vivid imagination, it was some of the most creative and out-there descriptions of what she thought would suit us, that many of us were crying we were laughing so hard at the ridiculousness of it all.

The ceremony was absolutely stunning, and the reception was a blast. And, all of our huge family being goof-balls made it all the better.

Day 22, Sunday, July 8, 2012: Today was just a long day to put it plainly. I woke up and ate dinner with my parents at the hotel at 8 a.m., prior to leaving Waco to catch my flight going out of DFW. My flight was supposed to board in Dallas at 12:25, we didn’t board until 1:20, which was fine because I was able to actually eat lunch before leaving. And I have never been more thankful that I ate that greasy personal pizza for lunch in all my life. We finally took off around 2:00 p.m., and we were supposed to be a little early to D.C.. That was not the case by the time we arrived. We kept circling (for a little over an hour) above D.C., and finally, the captain said a storm was there and wasn’t blowing over, so we needed to land in Richmond because we were low on fuel. So, we flew the 30 minutes to Richmond. What happened you ask? A storm hit Richmond 2 minutes, yes, TWO MINUTES prior to our arrival over the outskirts of the city with too much lightning so that we couldn’t land. We circled there for about 30 minutes before the captain came on again and said we had to land in Norfolk because we were out of fuel. It wasn’t an option no matter what the weather–we were going to land. So, we arrived in Norfolk, escorted down the runway by a racing EMS (no one really knows why they were there, but I guess that’s what they do with emergency landings). We sat there in the middle of the runway by the fire station for over 2 hours. Thankfully, we had some of the kindest flight attendants and pilots (especially in a situation like that where we are just stranded, already 2 and a half hours past when we were supposed to originally land). Basically, it was a hysterically long day on an airplane. It took 8 1/2 hours on a plane from DFW to D.C. and then 30 minutes to get off the plane. I basically traveled for 10 1/2 hours before I was back in my dorm tonight. And through all of that, we only got one round of drinks (because we kept thinking we were going to land…haha that was a funny joke) and no food. But all is well. Thank goodness for a good book and kind flight attendants and pilots.

Day 18, July 4, 2012: Today was a wonderful day. Today, we celebrated the founding of a great nation in style.

Alaina and I went to Mt. Vernon in the morning to begin our festivities of July 4th. Spending the morning of the 4th at one of our founding fathers’ home was absolutely amazing. As always, Mt. Vernon charmed her visitors with the grand house, fantastic view from the back porch overlooking the Potomac River. Mt. Vernon had restored even more of the buildings from the last time I was there. The entire estate was decked out in 4th of July attire. There were men, women and children donned in time-appropriate attire, a concert band played on the law in front of the house, and there was a lovely fireworks (during the day…they still look cool!) display overlooking the Potomac. The festivities did not end there–Mt. Vernon had an American birthday cake for everyone, President and Mrs. Washington were “there to visit” (and I must say that whomever was portraying each of them did an amazing job), and tour of the house was just magnificent. The rooms in the house have been restored–it was beautiful (somewhat similar to Williamsburg, but varied and more color selection than Williamsburg). Don’t worry, I picked up the color sample brochure in the gift shop on our way out of Mt. Vernon (you can order the colors from the house!).

After we had exhausted all there was to see at Mt. Vernon, we headed back to our dorm to switch purses for fanny packs (yes, I said that correctly) and then we headed to National Mall a little before 5 p.m.. We decided to sit on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (which, I must say, was an absolutely perfect decision). When we arrived, it wasn’t horribly crowded, but as it drew closer to 9 p.m., the steps and lawns around the memorial began to be packed with over-heated bodies waiting for the amazing display that was ahead. We each brought a book to read while we were waiting for the festivities to begin (I am still reading the excellent book, Becoming Marie Antionette, I HIGHLY recommend it…it’s fascinating).

Once it reached 9:00 p.m., the steps were packed with people–with some trying to engage the crowd in chants of “U.S.A” and singing “God Bless America” along with other ballads that were American based. It was quite entertaining, and made the 4th feel a little more patriotic.

Then the show began. The glorious display of fireworks (which were shot off from the reflecting pool…which currently only reflects about 10 feet wide because of repairs…but none-the-less, the fireworks were somewhat above us, which was just breathtaking) began and honestly, we could FEEL the boom we were so close. It was perfect. The loudspeakers were playing music–many of us sang along to the American themed music as well as Jeremiah was a Bullfrog and others. It was such a fun evening. The fireworks show was truly the most spectacular I have ever seen in my life, and if I am ever blessed with a chance to be in D.C. for the 4th of July, I shall be returning to my spot on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to bask in the multi-colored lights booming overhead.

After the fireworks were over, to avoid the crowds some, we remained at the Lincoln Memorial, exploring all parts of the monument. Basically, spending the 4th of July in D.C. was the best day ever and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world.

For more fun things throughout the day, and to see other pictures and oddities that occur during the day, follow me on Twitter: @amyestone12